Notice: The appearance of U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Defense, or NASA imagery or art does not constitute an endorsement nor is Cybermodeler Online affiliated with these organizations.

That sets the stage for Cooper's chronicle of the fighting itself. How tiny Rwanda and its allies defeated Zaïre – a nation the size of Western Europe – remains among the most remarkable military achievements of recent times. And as Cooper notes, success stemmed from the "brilliant tactics and thinking" of "key Rwandan officers" – a performance in chiascuro contrast to the chaotic confusion and incompetency of their larger foe.

Careful readers will note some nits and typos. That's "Anstalt WIGMO" – not "Wingmo". And "DSP" – not "DPS". That's a DC-6 – not a DC-8 – on page 21. Those were Chinese Type 62s – not T-62s – in Zaïre's last armor action. And Filip Reyntjen's The Great African War appears in a footnote – but not in the book's bibliography.

But pardon my pettifogging. We who studied the campaign sometimes called it "Operation Gideon": Rwanda accomplished so much, so fast, with so little – right amidst the enemy.

For an adept, balanced briefing on the "First Congo War", get this terrific tome. Cooper masterfully distills the conflict's complexities. I loved it.